STEP EIGHT

OUR WITNESS

1.     Ways of witnessing

1.1    Your life--James 1:22; Col 4:5,6; 1 Peter 3:16  "What you are speaks so loudly I can't hear what you say."  Emerson

1.2    Your word--1 John 1:3; 1 Peter 3:15

A.    Direct testimony/evangelism--for example the use of The Four Spiritual Laws-2 Tim 1:8

     B.    Indirect testimony--share your own experience of the power of God in your life.

1.3     Your concerned prayer for a friend's need or problem--Acts 28:8

2.    Who is responsible for saving people? (Also see appendix pages 21,22)

2.1     Jesus Christ--1 Tim 1:15

2.2    We are ambassadors of Christ--2 Cor 5:19,20

2.3    The Gospel--the power of God for salvation Rom 1:16; Define gospel in your own words--1 Cor 15: 3,4

3.    An example of witnessing; Philip and the Ethiopian--Acts 8:26-40

3.1    He communicated verbally - he spoke - Acts 8:35

3.2    In the process he used the Scriptures - also Acts 8:35 The Plan of Salvation from the Bible will help us do the same. (this is a variation of the Roman Road that we have seen in Step One):

The Plan of Salvation

A.      All have sinned--Rom 3:23

B.      The wages of sin--Rom 6:23

C.      Christ died for us--Rom 5:8

D.      Salvation is a gift--Eph 2:8,9

E.       You have to receive it--Rev 3:20;  John 1:12

F.       You must receive Him as Lord--Rom 10:9

G.      The assurance of salvation--1 John 5:11,12

3.3    He was prepared and knew the Scriptures--1 Peter 3:15,16

(Responses to exercise on bottom of page 12: A-3, B-5, C-1, D-2, E-4)

4.    Personal testimony

4.1    What is a personal testimony?  1 John 1:3; Acts 4:20

4.2    Pauls testimony--Acts 26:4-23; 22:1-21 This testimony can be divided into three parts:

A.    B.C. How life was Before knowing Christ--Acts 26:4-11

B.    M.C. The Moment Paul came to know Christ--Acts 26:12-18

C.    A.C. How life has been After knowing Christ--Acts 26:19-23

5.    Christians living in unity -- a powerful witness--John 17:21,23; 1 Cor 12:20,25

6.    The scope of our witness is seen in Jesus' last words known as the Great Commission--Mt 28:19,20.  The importance of these can be seen when we compare them to the first words he spoke to his disciples--Mt 4:19. Remember his command to pray--Mt 9:37,38. This witness starts at home and extends outward in ever larger circles to include the whole world--Acts 1:8

HOMEWORK:

Memorize 1 John 1:3                                                                            [  ]

Write your own personal testimony, using the three parts

  mentioned in section 4.2 as they apply                                                 [  ]

Memorize the Plan of Salvation in 3.2                                                    [  ]

Be able to explain the Bridge illustration (see p. 23)                                [  ]